Monday's letters: Right to vote

Published: Monday, January 28, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, January 25, 2013 at 5:02 p.m.

To the editor: Those in the GOP is beginning to realize that they lost the national election, and they are determined not to let that happen again. One plan is to reduce the number of voters who tend to vote Democrat.

Gov. Pat McCrory is wasting no time and says he will “very soon” reintroduce new voter photo ID laws that unfairly target the elderly, African-American and low-income voters. The N.C. State Board of Elections estimates this could adversely affect over 9 percent of the electorate. Courts elsewhere have ruled such laws are unfair and discriminatory, so other schemes (such as reduced early voting or ending same-day registration) are also in their arsenal.

Remember the Suffragettes who were imprisoned, beaten, bled and died to gain the right to vote for women? Hopefully this won’t come to that, but we the people have a right to vote.

Jacqueline Knable

Hendersonville

Throes of collapse

To the editor: I felt compelled to comment on the opening paragraph of Sparky Hall’s column that appeared in the Times-News on Jan. 11, headlined “We need to fix our broken political system.” I firmly disagree with his statement that he has “been impressed by the absolute pure luck we have enjoyed in our country by having the group of people who wrote our Constitution and formed our system of government.”

If Sparky Hall is truly a “student of history” as stated in the column, then he should know better than to make such a statement. The men who collaborated in the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence and influenced the adoption of the subsequent Constitution were men who believed in and worshipped an Almighty God. They gave Him and His Word credit for the ideas and ideals contained in those two documents.

We are in the throes of that collapse at the present time. Unless the citizens of the United States begin acknowledge God’s guidance and protection once again, I foresee the collapse of this once mighty and just nation in the not-too-far distant future.

Robert B. Cooling Sr.

Flat Rock

FRP subsidies

To the editor: Though I’m late to the fray in commenting on the Flat Rock Playhouse “bailout,” my tax monies are being proffered, and I haven’t read any convincing reasons for the real cause of FRP’s problems.

My wife and I have attended Playhouse productions for more than 20 years and have enjoyed its brilliant staging, casting and entertaining performances. One rarely saw empty seats, and many shows were extended for weeks. One thinks of past productions such as “Singing in the Rain,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” et al., playing to packed houses.

FRP has known lean times before, since it was established by Robroy Farquhar in the middle of the Great Depression; however, to my knowledge, it never before begged for subsidies.

The Farquhars, father and son, maintained a repertory company of veteran actors that has dissipated under Vincent Marini in favor of his friends from New York City. It’s obvious that travel expenses, rooms and board for these “Vagabonds” inflate operating expenditures. Furthermore, at least for us, ticket prices have reached the point of diminishing returns.

As have its audiences, some belt tightening and change of operating plan would seem to be in order for FRP.

<p>To the editor: Those in the GOP is beginning to realize that they lost the national election, and they are determined not to let that happen again. One plan is to reduce the number of voters who tend to vote Democrat.</p><p>Gov. Pat McCrory is wasting no time and says he will very soon reintroduce new voter photo ID laws that unfairly target the elderly, African-American and low-income voters. The N.C. State Board of Elections estimates this could adversely affect over 9 percent of the electorate. Courts elsewhere have ruled such laws are unfair and discriminatory, so other schemes (such as reduced early voting or ending same-day registration) are also in their arsenal.</p><p>Remember the Suffragettes who were imprisoned, beaten, bled and died to gain the right to vote for women? Hopefully this won’t come to that, but we the people have a right to vote.</p><p><em>Jacqueline Knable</em></p><p><em>Hendersonville</em></p><h3>Throes of collapse</h3>
<p>To the editor: I felt compelled to comment on the opening paragraph of Sparky Hall’s column that appeared in the Times-News on Jan. 11, headlined We need to fix our broken political system. I firmly disagree with his statement that he has been impressed by the absolute pure luck we have enjoyed in our country by having the group of people who wrote our Constitution and formed our system of government.</p><p>If Sparky Hall is truly a student of history as stated in the column, then he should know better than to make such a statement. The men who collaborated in the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence and influenced the adoption of the subsequent Constitution were men who believed in and worshipped an Almighty God. They gave Him and His Word credit for the ideas and ideals contained in those two documents.</p><p>We are in the throes of that collapse at the present time. Unless the citizens of the United States begin acknowledge God’s guidance and protection once again, I foresee the collapse of this once mighty and just nation in the not-too-far distant future.</p><p><em>Robert B. Cooling Sr.</em></p><p><em>Flat Rock</em></p><h3>FRP subsidies</h3>
<p>To the editor: Though I’m late to the fray in commenting on the Flat Rock Playhouse bailout, my tax monies are being proffered, and I haven’t read any convincing reasons for the real cause of FRP’s problems.</p><p>My wife and I have attended Playhouse productions for more than 20 years and have enjoyed its brilliant staging, casting and entertaining performances. One rarely saw empty seats, and many shows were extended for weeks. One thinks of past productions such as Singing in the Rain, Beauty and the Beast, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, et al., playing to packed houses.</p><p>FRP has known lean times before, since it was established by Robroy Farquhar in the middle of the Great Depression; however, to my knowledge, it never before begged for subsidies.</p><p>The Farquhars, father and son, maintained a repertory company of veteran actors that has dissipated under Vincent Marini in favor of his friends from New York City. It’s obvious that travel expenses, rooms and board for these Vagabonds inflate operating expenditures. Furthermore, at least for us, ticket prices have reached the point of diminishing returns.</p><p>As have its audiences, some belt tightening and change of operating plan would seem to be in order for FRP.</p><p><em>Jerome (Jack) Lorenz</em></p><p><em>Mills River</em></p>